Raven Guard Tactical Squad Khalid

[SCC]

After spending 7 years on my Brazen Claws army and ending up with a grand total of 12 Marines and a Dreadnought I decided that if I were ever to actually play a game of 40K again I needed to switch armies to something quicker to paint. After thinking long and hard about the options I plumped for the Raven Guard as they ticked most, in fact, all, of the boxes I was looking for:

• Cool fluff - check (aside from some dodgy tongue in cheek Edgar Allen Poe references in their IA, their fluff is pretty cool)
  
• Not too popular - check (though there have been a number of new RG armies springing up here in the last 6 or so months I notice)
  
• Cool models - check (aside from regular Marine plastics which are pretty cool the RG have been given some love by Forge World in the form of both the pre-Heresy armour, perfect for the RG, and the RG Sternguard upgrade kit, RG Ven Dread, Rhino/LR doors and Captain Korvydae)
  
• Codex army - check (I like Codex armies, nothing against our zanier Marine compadres, but Codex is cool enough for me)
  
• Simple to paint - check (the last and most important point, I love my Brazen Claws but it takes me forever to paint bright colours so I need something simpler and quicker and what could be quicker than black?)
  

With the army choice out of the way I ordered far too much stuff from Forge World and began the construction of my first Raven Guard Tactical Squad. And, with fewer than 8 weeks since I began to assemble my test mini - Battle Brother Galbraith - I have my first finished squad.

Tactical Squad Khalid

[clearfloat][/clearfloat]

To get the squad done literally 50 times faster than my one and only Brazen Claw Tactical Squad I made some very deliberate choices about my aims and limits. First off, this isn't a display army, it's for play and as such it needn't be perfect. A decent looking table top army is all I need to play, it doesn't need to win awards and I don't need to use it to experiment with NMM or any other fancy techniques, I'm going to keep it nice and simple.

I also set myself a 'five hour rule'. Under this rule any mini that takes more than 5 hours to paint gets only the paint job necessary to field it after that 5 hour mark. Two minis in the squad here, Sergeant Khalid (white helmet) and Battle Brother Nebosja (auspex) hit that limit and were finished to a basic level in some areas before I moved swiftly on to the next model.

All in all though I'm pretty happy with the start I've made to this army and while I know 8 weeks still isn't that fast for a simple Tac squad it's lightning quick for me and gives me hope I can field a reasonably painted army within the next 12 months or so.

For those wanting bigger shots or different angles on individual Marines please check my blog (link in my signature), they're all there if you'd like a closer look. You'll also find info on the bitz I've used to create the squad, which range from SW plastics to Iron Hands metals to FW bitz to regular plastics.

[barek]

Wow! Best Ravenguard ever!

[Khestra the Unbeheld]

I've always had a soft spot for Corax's Legion. Well done, sir!

[Dosjetka]

I've been waiting for these to be finished and I must say that they are great! :jaw: Also, are the squad and Chapter markings free-hand? If so, you have a very steady hand!

 

Can't wait to see more ^_^

 

Ludovic

[SCC]

Thanks guys, as I said, I'm pretty darn happy with the results given the relatively short time (by my standards) invested into the squad :ph34r:

 

I've been waiting for these to be finished and I must say that they are great! ;) Also, are the squad and Chapter markings free-hand? If so, you have a very steady hand!

Sadly my hands are nowhere near that steady. I picked up the Forge World Raven Guard decal set along with all the other FW goodies I ordered to start the army and they've probably been the best value. 9GBP for hundreds of markings that make life so much simpler and easier it's hard to credit. Anyone looking to do a small or cheap RG force could do worse than spend a few quid to pick up the decal sheet, it'll save you Emperor only knows how long in freehanding Chapter insignia.

[NO BLOOD - NO FOUL!]

Awesome! Cool models and cool paintjob.

 

I like how you painted the black with very muted highlights.

[Prot]

They are fantastic....

 

Just one, small criticism: The bases. If you really must keep them all black, I would go back with some light work on the stone... some grey drybrushing... anything to help the figs pop a bit.

 

They really do look great SCC. The painting, the figs... it's very good. I'm very tempted! (I still have that flash of Corax stuck in my head from reading First Heretic)

[KYR GKIKAS]

Excellent paintjob sir.Please allow me to congatulate you.*hut off*

[Isiah]

I like "black" marine armies - and these are great with just enough additional colour to stop them staying flat, the yellow eye lenses for instance become important focal points.

[Dràyhèn]

I'm impressed.

By that lone Deathwatch marine, let me be clear on that one. If only there were a little bit more detail on everyone else, and if only their lenses were as shockingly well painted as the Deathwatch marine's, I'd gasp in awe.

 

Still, I must say you've done some good paintjob to make these black marines stand out.

[Obliterator]

Another fantastic job, can't wait to see that playable -yet painted- army, SCC! :lol:

 

I'm gonna join Prot in the crit that maybe the base could be a bit lighter. Personally I'd even paint the green banding a bit brighter, but I do like my colors bright, so you might want to not listen to me on that one :blush:

 

I really like the Deathwatch marine, any chance on some detail shots of the helmet, auspex, or maybe some other angles?

[Aqatone]

Well painted and modelled Raven Guard give me a raging clue.

[KAINE-77]

Wow... Just wow.

 

It's almost like you reached into my brain and made your Raven Guard look exactly how I think they should be.

(And made me curse my own lack of skill with a paint brush) B)

 

Absolutely wonderful.

[SCC]

Just one, small criticism: The bases. If you really must keep them all black, I would go back with some light work on the stone... some grey drybrushing... anything to help the figs pop a bit.

I'm gonna join Prot in the crit that maybe the base could be a bit lighter. Personally I'd even paint the green banding a bit brighter, but I do like my colors bright, so you might want to not listen to me on that one

Are the bases really that dark? Huh. I kinda like 'em all grimy and dingy...still, I'm open to new ideas so for the next combat squad of RG I shall try to lighten the bases up a bit and see how that turns out ;)

Did you look at the bigger 4 shot for Brother Nebosja (the Deathwatch vet) Oblit? If you want more detail (as this pic will give different angles but it's not much bigger really) let me know and I can take some more photos:

I'm impressed. By that lone Deathwatch marine, let me be clear on that one. If only there were a little bit more detail on everyone else, and if only their lenses were as shockingly well painted as the Deathwatch marine's, I'd gasp in awe.

Thanks Drayhen ( I think :lol: ). In all honesty I've been having a right pig of a time with the eyes, I just can't find a recipe that works that I can repeat, I really just lucked out with the DW Marine. I've never been much chop at eyes, gems and so forth to be honest, when I get lucky it looks great but most of the time I barely manage passable, especially with my self-imposed '5 hour rule' which I'm using to help ensure I end up with a playable army in a reasonable time (note Nebosja here broke the rule and took a little longer which may also be why he stands out a little, the mini was too nice to short-change).

Regarding the detail I would ask folks to take into account that this really is just a regular Tactical squad so the lack of ornamentation is fairly deliberate. You should see a little more of the fancy stuff with other elements of the planned army like a simply Raven-ised Sevrin Loth mini & Command Squad, Sternguards and Venerable Dreadnought.

To everyone else: Thanks for the kind words, it's that kind of thing that will help me stay on track for a playable army. I'm also glad they seem to be meeting the internal expectations of folks for RG Marines, one of my big goals is to make an RG force that feels RG-ish B)

[Lysimachus]

You should see a little more of the fancy stuff with other elements of the planned army like a simply Raven-ised Sevrin Loth mini & Command Squad, Sternguards and Venerable Dreadnought.

 

Yes please! ;)

 

Amazing stuff SCC, really nice! I love the individual nature of each Marine but they still tie together. Do you have a set list/points level planned for the army?

[Dark Apostle Thirst]

I like all sons of Corax... but when I write fluff that sergeant is going to be in it :lol:

 

Don't worry, he won't die, and he won't ascend to Chaos, I'll keep him alive, likable, and suitable heroic/pragmatic.

 

This may only be because of that sweet pose and usage of the Blood Angel DC sword/FW helmet.

 

As for actaully contributing comments...? I can tell they'll look lighter, and better, in RL. Your DW pose is kind of wacky - his bolter should be lowered, not raised, if it's at the rest, which is a fairly common misconception - you raise it after you've just finished firing, reload it, then lower it at the rest.

[Muller]

Very well executed black :lol:

Oh and don't listen to the guys saying the bases are too dark. It adds to the atmosphere of the models, make it look a bit more melancholy and I absolutely love it

[Gillyfish]

I really like them. Very dark and menacing and a very different take on the Chapter. I like the more muted approach to the pauldron banding that you've taken - the single colour on only one side of the model can make them seem a little unbalanced.

 

I'm actually surprised that there isn't more white on them - shows how many RG armies I've seen! :P

 

Overall, I like them. Certainly you could paint them to a higher standard, but this is for gaming and to have a whole army of similarly painted figures should look spectacular.

 

Besides, I've found with my DA that painting in batches actually makes you faster. So the more of these guys you do, the faster it should get! :)

[Iacton Qruze]

Looking good!

 

I think the bases are fine. Too much pop takes away the ability to blend in with the board.

[xenofexx]

Excellent work!

 

These marines really radiate that dark and mysterious Raven Guard-atmosphere -- in no small part due to the dark basing! Good choice IMO. How exacly have you painted their armour? I really like the muted edging, looks a lot better than my attempts at edging black marine armour with simple codex grey :)

[Race Bannon]

Good show :)

 

My question is one of interpretation: do the green on the pads show squad type (Tactical, which may be a coincidence here), or Company affiliation (here 3rd Company).

 

And ... if you have only ever painted 12 marines and a Dread for your Brazen Claws ... have you been playing the game at all? If so, with what?

[SCC]

Do you have a set list/points level planned for the army?

Well, I'm aiming for a playable army, so I'd like to hit at least 1850 points. The list I have in my head at the moment is a mech infantry list, it should feature something like 45-50 Marines, all in PA, all in Rhinos or Razorbacks with some other Rhino based vehicles for support. I'd like to add some Scout bikers too if I can squeeze them in somewhere and I'll have to include a Ven Dread simply 'cos the FW RG Dread is so nice. The idea behind the army is based on the hit and run tactics of units like the LRDG, SAS and Popski's Private Army in the Western Desert in the Second World War mixed with the 'Jock Columns' of armoured cars and other light armour used by the British in the same conflict.

 

They basically used vehicles to move around and raise hell behind enemy lines (both on foot and mounted), a very RG thing to do I feel. I'm working on the fluff for the army but, much like the SAS, environmental conditions on the world they're assaulting will make 'airborne ops' (in this case jump packs, anti-grav vehicles) impossible to use so they'll resort to land based vehicles.

 

Your DW pose is kind of wacky - his bolter should be lowered, not raised, if it's at the rest, which is a fairly common misconception - you raise it after you've just finished firing, reload it, then lower it at the rest.

Mayhap, mayhap, but I like the way it looks - 'be vewwy, vewwy quiet, I'm hunting Xenos...' ;)

 

I really like them. Very dark and menacing and a very different take on the Chapter. I like the more muted approach to the pauldron banding that you've taken - the single colour on only one side of the model can make them seem a little unbalanced.

 

I'm actually surprised that there isn't more white on them - shows how many RG armies I've seen!

Thanks Gilly, dark and menacing are my watch words :lol:

 

I also think the subdued pads work better than if they were brighter but it's a bit of a balancing act as the black can swallow the green so easily. As for the white I think the main reason is that the older armour styles don't have Aquilas - which are normally white on the RG, there's only two full sized ones in the squad and those Marines look more like the 'normal' interpretation of RG I think. That said I plan on keeping them to a minimum as they're a bit 'normal' and too many would make the army less dark & menacing (see, watch words! :) ) I think.

 

Overall, I like them. Certainly you could paint them to a higher standard, but this is for gaming and to have a whole army of similarly painted figures should look spectacular.

Besides, I've found with my DA that painting in batches actually makes you faster. So the more of these guys you do, the faster it should get!

Aye, I noted in my blog that even with just these 10 guys that the 'regular' Marines had gone from about 5 hours to 4 and the fancier ones were a bit quicker too. Like you say, I could paint them to a higher standard but a quality gain of 10% would take me twice as long per Marine and if I painted them as well as I could they'd be taking forever each and I'd never field 'em, just like the Brazen Claws. Again, it's a bit of a juggling act but I think I'm getting the balance pretty much right so far.

 

My question is one of interpretation: do the green on the pads show squad type (Tactical, which may be a coincidence here), or Company affiliation (here 3rd Company).

 

And ... if you have only ever painted 12 marines and a Dread for your Brazen Claws ... have you been playing the game at all? If so, with what?

 

The shoulder pad trim indicates squad type, I always liked that idea once it appeared in the RG IA article and despite recent revisions/updates I think it looks good on 'em. Using black for Veterans does make them look a tad plain however, so I might consider white or more likely silver trim there.

 

As for gaming, well, I have my old DA army that I used throughout 3rd Ed and into the beginning of fourth but I haven't really played since then other than the odd 40K in 40min game with a store army or figures borrowed from a friend. It's a large reason behind the 'play, not display' mantra driving this army really as I'd actually like to play a full sized game for the first time in a long time.

 

How exacly have you painted their armour?

 

My black recipe is pretty simple:

 

1. Spray undercoat black
   
2. Tidy up anywhere the spray missed with Chaos Black
   
3. Broad highlights of 'RG Black' (a very, very dark grey I made from approx. 1 part VMC German Grey to 3 parts Chaos black with just a touch of Foundation Adeptus Battlegrey to tie it to the highlights).
   
4. Badab Black Wash
   
5. Fine highlight of 50/50 RG Black/ Adeptus Battlegrey
   
6. Final highlight of ABG
   
7. Black wash (only to areas that need highlights toned down)
   
8. Black ink (if it doesn't have a highlight or it's recessed I hit it with an ink/wash mix to make sure it's really, truly dead and black - the Dull Cote will kill off any shine)
   
9. Touch up
   
10. Dull Cote - this is the key to the flat black, Testor's Dull Cote just flat out murders any shine or gleam at all, giving that lovely menacing matte black.
    

 

It looks/sounds more complicated than it is, as I say, I can do a Marine in around 4 hours start to finish now and I dare say others could replicate the technique is a much shorter time as I dilly-dally a fair bit ;)

 

@Everyone: Thanks for the kind words folks, it means a lot to me that this community sees these guys as Raven Guard, it's a nice little ego boost and a great addition to my morale which should help keep everything on track!

[Race Bannon]

Oops. I meant 4th Company, but you got it. And I appreciate the IA article as well, so seeing more of your work later will be appealing. Thank you for responding!

[KJB]

I never thought I'd see the day you'd post 10 painted marines in 1 year never mind 1 post... :o

 

They look tremendous, really well detailed and with that really dark Raven Guard quality that you get from all the background

 

You going to paint Korvydae or the Raven Guard FW dreadnought?

[Pig Of Sparta]

I too never seem to get stuff finished, although for entirely different reasons. I think I might try using the 5 hour rule for my 'cleanse and burn' project. Back to your mini's though, I love the dark atmosphere that the muted bases creates along with the subtle highlights on the mini's. The white looks really crisp and clean (as it should) too. A very nicely done, well 'kitbashed' and very cohesive Tac squad, nice work :lol:

 

James